Armed Forces: Pay Review

Lord Astor of Hever: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Mr Philip Hammond) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am pleased to announce that I have reappointed two members of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body commencing March 2014. I have invited Mr Paul Kernaghan to serve a further three years and Sir Richard Ibbotson for a further two years. The reappointments have been conducted in accordance with the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ (OCPA) Code of Practice.

Jury Service: Age Limit

Lord McNally: My honourable friend, the Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Damian Green) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	Trial by a jury of one’s peers is a crucial and long established feature of our justice system and jury service is one of the most important civic duties that anyone can be asked to perform. Currently the Juries Act 1974 specifies that the upper age limit for jury service in England and Wales is 70. The upper limit was last amended by the Criminal Justice Act 1988, which raised it from 65 to 70.
	The previous Government consulted on changing the age limit. We have spent time considering the responses to that consultation, and the views of those who have written to us (and asked Parliamentary Questions) about this. We have now come to the conclusion that the age limit should be increased.
	The health and wellbeing of those over 70 has improved significantly since the age limit was last set 25 years ago and it is right that this should be reflected in a higher upper age limit for jury service. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that, on average, people in England and Wales can expect to be “disability free” until they are 75. We believe that it is fair to expect people below this age to sit as jurors.
	Over the age of 75, an increasing number of people would find it difficult or impossible to sit as jurors and would therefore seek to be excused jury service. Rather than put them through the process of applying for excusal, and spend tax-payers’ money dealing with this additional administrative burden, we are increasing the upper age limit to 75.
	Existing statutory provision allows anyone summoned for jury service, including, in future, those over 70, to seek to be excused, where there is a good reason for this.
	Whilst the main motivation for increasing the upper age limit is to make juries more representative of all the people who are playing a full part in their communities, we do expect some savings to result from a reduction in the number of jurors in full-time employment. This will reduce the number of employers who have to pay staff who are on jury service, and the costs to Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service of paying for loss of earnings. The only costs involved in implementing this policy will be minor changes to our systems, and to the relevant forms and guidance.
	Raising the upper age limit for jury service to 75 will involve amending the Juries Act 1974 by taking primary legislation through Parliament. We expect this legislation to be introduced early next year.

National Crime Agency: Contingencies Fund

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My honourable friend, the Minister of State for Crime Prevention (Jeremy Browne) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	The National Crime Agency will be a new non-ministerial department created by the Crime and Courts Act, which achieved Royal Assent in April 2013. The agency will become operational on 7 October 2013.
	There is a need to meet the cash requirement for the National Crime Agency from 7 October. Although Parliament has already approved the specific enabling legislation, the resources to fund the National Crime Agency are currently within the Home Office baseline. The National Crime Agency will have its own Estimate in due course.
	As an interim measure, parliamentary approval for resources of £422,000,000 for this new expenditure will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Home Office. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £198,700,000 will be met by repayable cash advances from the Contingencies Fund.

Planning Act 2008: Able Marine Energy Park

Earl Attlee: My honourable friend, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport (Norman Baker) has made the following Ministerial Statement:
	I refer to the application made by Able Humber Ports Limited on 16 December 2011 under section 37 of the Planning Act 2008 regarding a proposed development known as the Able Marine Energy Park comprising a quay of solid construction on the south bank of the River Humber at Killingholme, together with an ecological compensation scheme on the opposite bank at Cherry Cobb Sands. I have been appointed by the Secretary of State to decide this application.
	The original deadline for the decision on this application under section 107 of the Planning Act 2008 was 24 May 2013. On 21 May 2013 I made a statement to the House as required by that section announcing that I was setting a later deadline of 24 July 2013 for the decision. On 25 July 2013 I decided to set a new deadline for the decision of 28 August 2013 to allow time for further consideration of the application and informed the applicant and other interested parties accordingly.
	Since my last statement, I can inform Parliament that the Crown Estate advised the Department on 22 August 2013 that an agreement for a lease of the land required for the project had been reached with the applicant and that the Crown Estate was consequently giving consent in accordance with section 135 of the Planning Act 2008 for the above Order to include compulsory acquisition and other provisions in relation to that land.
	On 28 August 2013 the Department for Transport issued a letter to the applicant and other interested parties informing them that I am minded to give development consent for the project as recommended by the Panel which examined the application. However, before reaching a final decision I have asked the applicant to provide further information about the likely effectiveness of the ecological compensation scheme and to provide assurance that the project will not jeopardise any future operations on the Killingholme Branch railway.
	In order to allow time for the applicant to respond to the Department’s letter, for interested parties to consider and comment on the applicant’s response, and for the Department to assess all those responses, I am setting a new deadline for the decision on this application under section 107(3) of the Planning Act 2008 of 18 December 2013.

Correction to Commons Written Answer

Earl Howe: My honourable friend the Minister of State, Department of Health (Norman Lamb) has made the following written Ministerial Statement.
	I regret that the written answer given to the Rt Hon Member for Mid Sussex (Nicholas Soames) on 27 June 2013, Official Report columns 344-45W, contained some incomplete figures in the table.
	It has been brought to my attention that the information provided in the original answer did not contain secondary care figures for December 2012. The table below shows the correct figures.
	The corrected answer is as follows:
	Expenditure by National Health Service trusts in London, as defined by the former London Special Health Authority (SHA), is provided for both anti-retroviral HIV medicines and anti-cancer medicines.
	London generally has a larger proportion of its medicines costs going through hospitals than other SHAs as patients from areas surrounding London are likely to travel to London hospitals for some treatments.
	
		
			 Drug type Year Primary care cost1 (£000s) Secondary care cost2 (£000s) 
			 Anti-retroviral HIV3 2008 321.04 175,398.3 
			  2009 502.4 191,720.7 
			  2010 642.0 206,752.9 
			  2011 555.5 214,542.6 
			  2012 539.4 233,949.2 
			 Anti-cancer5 2008 17,299.84 112,677.5 
			  2009 23,486.3 131,052.7 
			  2010 22,461.9 147,571.4 
			  2011 20,958.7 157,944.3 
			  2012 13,017.26 188,663.9 
		
	
	Sources
	Prescribing Analysis and CosT tool (PACT) system. Copyright © 2013, The Health & Social Care Information Centre, Prescribing and Primary Care Services.
	IMS data. Copyright © IMS HEALTH: Hospital Pharmacy Audit. Some supplies through homecare providers may not be captured, therefore cost estimates may be under-stated.
	Notes
	1 Net ingredient cost.
	2 Cost of medicines at NHS list price and not necessarily the price paid.
	3 As classified within British National Formulary (BNF) section 5.3.1 HIV infection.
	4 Information for 2008 primary care costs is only available for May-December 2008.
	5 As classified within British National Formulary (BNF) section 8.1 Cytotoxic drugs, paragraph 8.2.3 Anti-lymphocyte monoclonal antibodies, paragraph 8.2.4 Other immunomodulating drugs (Aldesleukin, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (B.C.G.), Lenalidomide and Thalidomide (Immunomodulating) only), section 8.3 Sex hormones and hormone antagonists in malignant disease.
	6 The main reason for the lower cost is the large reduction in the cost per item price for three drugs, as lower-cost generic formulations became available (Anastrozole, Exemestane and Letrozole). These are mainly used in primary care; therefore there was not the comparable reduction in secondary care costs.

Business and Human Rights: UN Guiding Principles

Baroness Warsi: My right honourable friend, the Foreign Secretary has issued the following Written Ministerial Statement:
	I have today laid before the House a copy of the UK Government paper, “Good Business: Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights” (CM 8593).
	The action plan is the UK's national implementation plan for the UN Guiding Principles, which were endorsed in the Human Rights Council in June 2011. In it we make clear the Government’s duty to protect and promote human rights in the business context, outline
	our commitments to encourage good business practice by UK companies both domestically and internationally, and provide advice to UK companies to help them understand and manage human rights risk as part of their commercial activities.
	It is clear that personal freedoms contribute to economic development. Liberties which we take for granted—democracy, good governance, the rule of law, protection of property rights and an open, free and active civil society—create fertile conditions for private sector led growth. The absence of these fundamental principles can deny peoples their dignity and respect, contribute to political instability and conflict, and limit prospects for prosperity and economic growth.
	Promoting trade is vital for our economy and prosperity. Building Britain’s prosperity by increasing exports and investment, opening markets, ensuring access to resources and promoting sustainable growth is one of this Government’s primary objectives. But as British business expands overseas, so too does our responsibility to ensure that our commercial success does not come at a cost to the human rights of others.
	We strongly believe that the promotion of business, and respect for human rights, go hand in hand. In the past, the UK has actively participated or led on several international initiatives which have created guidelines for businesses, including the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights for extractive industries and as a member of the OECD we have been equally committed to promoting the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises with businesses. This action plan is a continuance of our commitment. We want British companies to succeed, but in a way consistent with our values. We will engage with British companies to raise awareness of their responsibility to adopt best practice guidelines, and to promote the business case for good corporate behaviour—it helps create jobs, contributes to market sustainability and has potential to generate long-term growth—and to work closely with UK companies who already see the business case for the business and human rights agenda to act as advocates to promote change, both domestically and internationally.
	With this action plan, the UK becomes the first country to launch a national implementation plan for the UN Guiding Principles. It is our commitment to the value of human rights in pursuit of a prosperous Britain. We shall push for the international community to follow our lead and for UK businesses to work with us in taking this proactive action protect human rights and improve the lives of millions.

Communities and Local Government: Summer Recess Business

Baroness Hanham: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles) made the following Written Ministerial Statement on 2 September 2013.
	I would like to update hon. Members on the main items of business undertaken by my Department since the House rose on 18 July 2013.
	Supporting local high streets
	High streets are the hearts of our communities, hubs of local businesses and drivers of growth.
	In order to remain so in the twenty first century, high streets must become thriving centres of culture, entertainment and social activity: not just the place to shop but the place to be. They also have to be distinct to be successful and that character can only come from within the community.
	This Government is determined to support those local efforts so businesses can flourish and communities prosper by creating the conditions for that to happen following some of the recommendations in the Portas Review. Already we have increased the business rates discounts for small shops, introduced planning reforms for the high street; committed new Government investment and set up 350 town teams, which are seeing some great results. Since the summer recess we have taken a number of further steps.
	On 23 July my Department announced proposals to bring property owners into the business improvement districts scheme so they can play an active part in regenerating trading areas. To boost the scheme a new £500,000 loan fund will enable the set up of more business improvement districts. Business improvement districts mean local companies can pool funds, deliver projects to improve town centre safety, support local traders, establish parking initiatives and help maintain the high street.
	Today, I am announcing that starting this month dedicated teams of local experts will train and mentor towns on how to adapt their high streets to changing consumer behaviour. The training is to be targeted at the leaders of every town team across the country
	Training will:
	encourage towns to carry out high street health checks;agree what the town centre ‘offer’ will be to residents and visitors; explain how to make best use of planning powers and new community rights to take over closed pubs or shops; anddetail how neighbourhood planning should be used to decide what local areas should look like in the future.
	On 6 August the Department published plans to extend permitted development rights to ensure better use is made of existing buildings. The proposals will allow local people to transform empty premises not in prime retail locations, or disused agricultural buildings into much-needed homes, nurseries and free schools.
	New planning guidance published on 28 August calls for councils to deliver more town centre parking spaces, tackle the blight of ugly street clutter and reduce aggressive “anti-car” traffic calming measures like road humps.
	The new practice guidance, covering design, town centres and travel plans, will state that councils should reflect the important role appropriate parking facilities
	can play in rejuvenating shops and high streets. It also sets out how town hall planning rules should not be used to tax drivers or justify development of crude traffic calming measures, such as poorly-sited bollards and road humps.
	This Government is working to ensure that town hall parking policies and practices also support local high streets. The Government has scrapped Whitehall rules that previously told councils to increase parking charges and adopt aggressive parking policies. On 31 July my Department released statistics revealing that councils are forecast to make £635 million profit from parking charges and fines in 2013-14 and called upon councils to take a fairer approach to charges.
	Across the country, assisted by internet “matching”, households are renting out their spare or unused dedicated off-street parking space in and near town centres, train stations and sports grounds. This provides a small income for hard-working families, more cheap parking spaces for people to park their car and takes pressure away from on-street parking
	In August my Department announced new guidance (published 9 Aug) on change of use making it clear that the public should be able to rent a single parking space without planning permission, provided there is no public nuisance to neighbours, or other substantive concerns. We will be making further announcements on car parking in due course.
	Small firms and shops are at the heart of our high streets and local communities, and we are supporting them to help the economy grow. On 14 August my Department released new figures showing that the level of small business rate relief has trebled since the general election, because of government initiatives. Rate relief in England has risen from £333 million in 2009-10, to £507 million in 2010-11, to £784 million in 2011-12 and now to £900 million in 2012-13.
	Fairness in the fire service
	Members will be aware that the Fire Brigades Union has announced a ‘yes’ vote in its ballot on potential strike action over reforms to the firefighters’ pension scheme. The Union has not yet set out whether it intends to commence industrial action, but we have been working closely with local fire and rescue authorities, who have a statutory responsibility for contingency planning, to make sure preparations are robust. We are satisfied that they are.
	We all hold our brave fire men and women in the highest regard. The offer to firefighters is one of the most generous available in the public sector. A firefighter who earns £29,000, and retires at sixty after a full career, will get a £26,000 a year pension, which includes the £7,000 state pension. A firefighter would need to double their level of contributions to get the same pension from a private provider.
	The normal retirement age has been sixty since 2006, one in three firefighters already has a retirement age of sixty. An independent review, commissioned with the agreement of the Fire Brigades Union, found that 100 per cent of firefighters who remain physically active can still be operational at age sixty.
	The retained fire service, many of whom will not take part in this strike action, play a vital role in
	protecting the community across most of England, and it is only right and fair that their efforts are recognised.
	On 23 July my Department announced proposals to correct a long standing anomaly that discriminated against retained firefighters employed between 2000 and 2006. Providing similar pension terms for retained firefighters to those enjoyed by whole-time firefighters employed at the same time will introduce fairness into the system and provide a level playing field. Subject to the consultation, legislation will be laid in Parliament to give effect to the new pension arrangements.
	Supporting hard-working families staying together
	Many hardworking families benefit from living in properties with self-contained annexes that allow them to house or care for extended family members. The current council tax system unfairly penalises those with family annexes with a second bill for the annex on top of their main property.
	On 26 August my Department announced plans to remove this unfair council tax surcharge to help support extended families. Proposals include a new national discount for all family annexes (not just those for older people), as a quick and easy way to remove this council tax surcharge from the system, saving an average £485 a year on a typical £2,427 combined yearly bill.
	With both an ageing population and young people finding it difficult to get on the housing ladder, the Government wants to remove barriers to extended families living together. Ministers believe the tax cut will ultimately save taxpayers’ money by helping reduce adult social care costs in the long-term. It will deliver against the Government’s commitment to help more people live independently. The reforms will also increase housing supply and support the construction trade.
	My Department has also consulted on the intention to remove the Community Infrastructure Levy on self-build properties, which include all extensions, family annexes and home improvements. In addition the Government is considering the removal of Section 106 levies on such annexes and extensions.
	Protecting local services
	Councils make up a quarter of all public spending and they have a vital part to play in tackling the inherited deficit from the last administration. New statistics published by my Department on 29 August show council have trebled their cash reserves over the last 10 years and by over 20% in real terms since 2010-11. Reserves now stand at over £19 billion—an increase of £2.6 billion in the last year alone.
	Local authorities should consider whether such substantial reserves are needed. While it is sensible for local authorities to maintain a healthy cushion, such substantial reserves are completely unnecessary and should be tapped into to ensure councils can protect frontline services and keep council tax down for hardworking people. Councils should also be making creative use of reserves to address short-term costs, such as restructuring or investing now to realise savings in the longer term.
	Supporting coastal towns
	This Government is committed to supporting our seaside towns and on 23 August, the Coalition Government announced that next year’s Coastal Communities Fund will be worth £29 million, an increase of 5%. This will help coastal towns make the most of their potential by diversifying their economies and industries so they can become year-round success stories.
	The projects approved in the first year alone are forecast to deliver over 5,000 jobs and create 500 apprenticeships.
	Colleagues will also want to join me in welcoming the first steps towards the reopening of Hastings Pier after it was saved from disrepair and abandonment by a local community group. Hastings and the pier charity have benefited from £14 million government, lottery and council support. While attending a ceremonial opening I was able praise the Hastings Pier Charity behind the campaign to save it.
	The Localism Act 2011 has created new powers that give communities like Hastings the ability to list local assets and protect them from sell offs. These rights are helping to save many treasured assets across the country. Some members will be interested to note that over the summer months fans of Manchester United and Liverpool footballs clubs successfully listed their team stadiums.
	Protecting Community Pubs through Community Rights
	This Government is doing everything we can to support and safeguard community pubs from closure. On 12 August my Department announced that one hundred pubs had been listed as assets of community value, giving communities the opportunity to buy their treasured local pub if it comes up for sale using the community right to bid.
	The Great British pub is recognised around the world as a quintessential part of British culture and it will now form part of the GREAT Britain campaign, which promotes the best of Britain to the world.
	Increasing housing supply and building more homes
	The tough decisions have been taken to tackle the deficit by this Government’ and its programme is now delivering a sustainable increase in housing and providing real help to hard-working people.
	In the last two years almost a third of a million additional homes have been delivered, and 150,000 more affordable homes have been built. Figures released on 13 August show that since the launch of the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme in April 2013 there have been 10,000 reservations for new build homes - this is giving confidence to house builders to deliver and build more new homes
	In addition figures from 15 August show there were 29,510 new homes started between April and June this year – 6 per cent higher than the previous quarter, and a third higher than the same time last year. This increase was seen across the country, with 178 of the 326 councils in England reporting an increase in housebuilding starts over the year.
	Latest figures on the Right to Buy released on 22 August show a total of 2,149 properties were sold between April and June this year, four times more than the 443 sold during the same period in 2012. The total of new homeowners under the reinvigorated Right to Buy now stands at over 8,000. Sales have generated £129 million in gross income, which will be recycled back into the development of new affordable homes for rent.
	We know how important housing affordability is for many people and on 27 July my Department announced a multi-million pound boost to build thousands of new affordable homes across the country. Sixty-nine different housing associations and developers will each receive a share of £220 million to deliver almost 14,000 new affordable homes outside London. Work on the new properties will be started by March 2015 and completed by 2017.
	On 5 August my Department announced the extension of the £17 million Right to Build fund to include any community project. Communities who want to make a change in their area, such as creating a new playground, renovating an empty home or making plots available for house building will be able to access the money they need to develop plans and make it happen. The fund is available for communities outside London until March 2015.
	Reducing homelessness
	This country has some of the strongest protections for families in the world to guard against homelessness, and the Government has invested £470 million. The law is clear that families must only be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation as a last resort, and then for no more than 6 weeks.
	On 1 August my Department announced £1.9 million for seven councils to help them support the housing needs of the most vulnerable of families.
	Ending the scourge of bin blight
	On 16 August my Department announced measures to tackle 'bin blight' - the daily obstacle course of wheelie bins and recycling boxes clogging up front yards, gardens and driveways. New guidance on both housing design and planning will require suitable provision to be made for proper waste storage in new homes. This will help avoid bins dominating residential streets or contributing to increased odour and roadside litter, and problems with rats, mice, flies and urban foxes.
	These actions build on this Government’s decisions to abolish bin taxes, stop unfair bin fines being issued on family homes and scrap Whitehall directives demanding fortnightly bin collections. My Department’s £250 million Weekly Collection Support Scheme has protected the weekly bin collection for 6 million families and supported 41 innovative reward schemes showing recycling can be increased without using punitive fines and taxes.
	Improving housing standards
	On 30 July my Department published new “Part L of the Building Regulations” as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement in the House of Lords, Official Report, Column WS165-166 - this will mean a six per cent cut in carbon emissions for new build homes, and a nine per cent cut for non domestic buildings.
	The measures, which include energy saving features such as better fabric insulation and more efficient heating and lighting, will come into force in April 2014.
	On 20 August my Department published proposals to scrap burdensome and confusing locally applied housing standards. Essential safety and accessibility rules will not be changed, but a mass of additional housing standards that councils applied locally created a patchwork of different standards which will now be reduced from over 100 to fewer than 10. This will help free up the industry, support growth and get high quality homes built.
	Involving local people in planning decisions
	Planning always works best when local communities have the opportunity to influence the decisions that affect their lives. To achieve this my Department is streamlining the planning system to make it simpler, more accessible and more efficient.
	To address local communities concerns that insufficient weight is being given to environmental considerations like landscape, heritage and local amenity when determining wind farm applications my Department published on 29 July new strong planning practice guidance to make clear that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities.
	An effective planning system needs to be supported by practical guidance. On 28 August my Department launched a new online resource that will make planning guidance much more accessible and easier to keep up to date.
	It also includes a new affordability test for determining how many homes should be built; advice for councils to open up planning hearings and plan positively for an ageing population; and guidance on new neighbourhood planning and protections for local green spaces.
	On 9 August my Department outlined strengthened powers councils can use to take decisive action, including pre-emptive injunctions, to protect vulnerable land in advance from unauthorised encampments; possession orders to remove trespassers from land; police powers to order unauthorised campers to leave land.
	As part of the Government’s commitment to protecting the nation’s green spaces, these powers will protect green belt land and the countryside from illegal encampments. New Temporary Stop Notices now give councils powers to tackle unauthorised caravans, backed up with potentially unlimited fines. This Government has strengthened councils’ powers so they have the confidence to take decisive action.
	Strengthening community bonds
	This Government has continued to support local efforts to bring communities closer together
	On 27 July, as the holy month of Ramadan drew to a close, mosques across the country opened their doors and welcomed those from all faiths and none to join in the fast-breaking meal of the Iftar – the special daily meal that is consumed at the end of each day when fasting finishes. The aim was to dispel any myths about the practices of Islam and to bring communities
	closer together. The Prime Minister and other ministers attended “The Big Iftar” events across the country and I can report to members it was a fantastic way of enabling people of different religions, and those of no faith, to visit a local mosque and learn about their role in the community.
	It is also our duty as citizens to remember the British and Commonwealth troops who lost their lives fighting in the Great War and this Government is determined to make sure their bravery for King and Country is not forgotten.
	On 5 August my Department announced that special commemorative paving stones will be laid in the home towns of all those in the United Kingdom awarded the Victoria Cross for valour “in the face of the enemy” during the conflict. A national competition will be launched to design the paving stones so people from all corners of the United Kingdom can get involved.
	The government will be setting out more of its plan to commemorate the 100th anniversary shortly. This will include the most appropriate way to commemorate Commonwealth and overseas Victoria Cross winners. No hero will be forgotten.
	On 23 August I endorsed the Flag Institute’s new guide for communities to design their own flags. The new guide outlines how community groups, councils, sports clubs and other organisations can design and register an official flag. My Department flew some of the nation’s newest flags—East and North Ridings of Yorkshire—in celebration.
	The Government has relaxed the rules on flying flags without official permission, enabling communities to express their pride in local identities, heritage and traditions without falling foul of petty bureaucracy.
	Tackling anti-social behaviour
	The public should be able to enjoy public spaces, their parks, streets and town centres, without nuisance or annoyance. Spitting on Britain’s streets is not socially acceptable.
	On 19 July the London Borough of Enfield was given provisional approval by the Secretary of State, following their application, to make byelaws that prohibit anti-social spitting across the borough due to the significance of the problem in the local area.
	Standing up to unnecessary EU red tape
	A proposed EU Regulation seeks to impose the EU flag on standardised birth certificates, marriage and death certificates on UK citizens. Whilst the European Commission has suggested that this would be “voluntary”, on the 9 August Ministers warned of the risk of “mission creep” and “state building” as happened with driving licences. There is simply no need for the EU flag to be on these documents.
	More broadly, this Department has a track record of pushing back against heavy-handed requirements to display European Union symbols. We also have a proactive policy of promoting and championing the United Kingdom’s national and traditional identities.
	Planning for shale gas
	The Coalition Government believes shale gas has the potential to provide the UK with greater energy security, growth and jobs. Effective exploration and
	testing of the UK’s unconventional gas resources is therefore key for understanding the potential of this industry. The government is creating the right framework to accelerate shale gas development in a responsible and sustainable way.
	As the shale gas industry develops, the Government wants to ensure an effective, locally-led planning system is in place.On 19 July a Written Ministerial Statement was made in the House of Lords, Official Report, Column WS149-150, setting out the publication of planning practice guidance for industry, minerals planning authorities and local communities on how shale gas (and other onshore oil and gas) developments should proceed through England’s planning system. Alongside its publication, the Government indicated that it was minded to amend existing secondary legislation in relation to application requirements and fees for onshore oil and gas development. Today I am publishing for comment a limited number of proposedchanges relating to making a planning application.
	All the associated documents and press notices have been placed in the Library of the House.

Courts and Tribunals: Fee Remissions

Lord McNally: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mrs Helen Grant) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I have today laid and published the Government’s response to the consultation “Fee remissions for the courts and tribunals” which ran from 18 April 2013 to 16 May 2013.
	The consultation sought views on reforms to the fee remission system to provide a better targeted, fairer and easier to use system which ensures access to justice for those unable to afford a fee.
	Sixty four responses were received to the consultation from a range of stakeholders including legal bodies, trade unions, business and voluntary bodies and members of the public.
	Having carefully considered the views of stakeholders we have decided to take forward the proposals included in the consultation, with some amendments. The key features of the new system will be:
	a single system of fee remission across all of the courts and tribunals subject to the consultation, which will be easier for users to understand and to access;a new disposable capital test to assess eligibility for a remission, with some amendments to that consulted upon to reflect concerns about the impact of the test on those of retirement age and to make clearer the types of capital that will be considered or disregarded;a new single income test which will be simpler to use and which will require a greater contribution from those who pay part of their fee.
	Implementation of these reforms will mean that the taxpayer contribution towards fee remissions will be better targeted towards those who need it most. They will also ensure that the system of remissions is fair, easy to use and consistent across courts and tribunals.
	The changes will be implemented by negative Statutory Instrument, to come into effect on Monday 7 October. Revised guidance on the new system will be also made available to the public.
	At the same time, we will also introduce a new fee of £215 for an oral renewal application in judicial review proceedings. This implements changes announced on 23 April 2013, following the Government’s engagement exercise “Judicial Review: proposals for reform”.
	The consultation response has been placed in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office. The document is also available online at https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/fee-remissions-court-tribunals.

Crime: Specialist Printing Equipment and Materials

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My honourable friend theMinister of State for Crime Prevention (Jeremy Browne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement
	The police and the specialist printing equipment and materials industry have identified a rising trend in illegal document factories buying such goods in order to produce counterfeits of credit cards and government issued documents including passports and driving licences. This trend helps criminals to enter the country illegally, commit benefit fraud and evade criminal records checks. Not only do the public suffer from billions of pounds worth of fraud each year, but counterfeit documents also help criminals to avoid the law and safeguard their ill-gotten gains.
	The Government published a consultation on 2 March on preventing the supply of highly specialist printing equipment to fraudsters. Today, we are publishing an analysis of the consultation responses and the government response. The consultation enabled us to evaluate evidence from suppliers of specialist printing equipment and materials to develop a proportionate and effective response to tackle this problem. As a result of the consultation we are today also publishing guidance on voluntary procedures businesses can adopt to protect themselves from becoming victims of payment fraud and reduce their risk of inadvertently supplying specialist printing equipment and materials for use in criminal conduct. A copy of the government response and the guidance will be placed in the House Library.
	We will also be supporting Charlie Elphicke MP’s Private Member’s Bill, the Specialist Printing Equipment and Materials (Offences) Bill, which seeks to make it a criminal offence to knowingly supply specialist printing equipment and materials for use in criminal conduct.

Doctors: Language Controls

Earl Howe: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Dr Daniel Poulter) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement
	The Department of Health has been working with the General Medical Council (GMC) and other stakeholders to look at ways to ensure that the language capability of doctors working in the UK is sufficient and earlier this year, I signalled the Government’s intention to further tighten rules about overseas doctors.
	Subsequently, on 7 September 2013 the Government launched its consultation Language Controls for Doctors – Proposed Changes to the Medical Act 1983 which consults on proposalsto amend the Medical Act 1983 to give the GMC more explicit powers to take action where concerns arise about a doctor’s English language capability.The draft Medical Act (Amendment) (Knowledge of English) Order has also been published alongside the consultation document. The proposals are designed to complement and further strengthen the existing language controls imposed through the responsible officer regulations, performer’s list regulations and other checks undertaken at a local level.
	The consultation will close on 2 December and the Government welcomes views on the proposals and invites comments through the consultation process.
	Language Controls for Doctors – Proposed Changes to the Medical Act 1983 and the draft Medical Act (Amendment) (Knowledge of English) Order have been placed in the Library. Copies are available to hon Members from the Vote Office and to noble Lords from the Printed Paper Office.

EU: JHA Opt-in Decisions

Lord McNally: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security (James Brokenshire) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement
	In his Written Ministerial Statement on 20 January 2011, the Minister for Europe outlined the Coalition Government’s commitment to further strengthen Parliamentary scrutiny of JHA opt-in decisions. This included a commitment, where there is strong Parliamentary interest, to set aside time for a debate in both Houses on its proposed approach.
	The Government has decided to offer debates in government time on the following proposals, which it is anticipated will be published in 2013:
	Home Office dossiers
	Proposed Regulation on Europol
	On 27 March 2013 the European Commission published a draft Regulation to repeal the existing Council Decisions governing the European Police Office (Europol) and the European Police College (CEPOL). This will establish Europol as the “European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation and Training”. This measure has already been the subject of an opt-in debate in the House of Lords on 1 July 2013 and in the House of Commons on 15 July 2013. The Government has decided that the UK will not opt in to the Regulation at the initial stages but that it should opt in post-adoption, provided that Europol is not given the power to direct national law enforcement agencies to initiate investigations
	or share data that conflicts with national security. The UK will remain fully engaged in the negotiations at all levels.
	Proposed Regulation reforming Eurojust
	This draft Regulation, which was published on 17 July, aims at developing and reinforcing Eurojust's functioning and determining arrangements for involving the European Parliament and national Parliaments in the evaluation of Eurojust's activities.
	Proposal for a European Public Prosecutors’ Office (EPPO)
	On 17 July, in parallel with the Eurojust proposal, the Commission also published a proposal to establish a European Public Prosecutors' Office (EPPO). It is envisaged that the EPPO will initially be responsible for crimes against the financial interest of the EU. The Government has made clear in the Coalition Agreement that the UK will not participate in any proposal for a European Public Prosecutor.
	Proposal on fighting money laundering
	Money laundering is already a criminal offence in all EU Member States and is listed in the Treaty as one of the areas where the EU may create minimum standards for offences and penalties. The Commission has concluded that the absence of a common approach in Member States to this issue hinders cross-border investigations and police co-operation, and is therefore suggesting the need to harmonise the offence of money laundering at EU level.
	Ministry of Justice dossiers
	Proposal for a Directive on special safeguards in criminal procedures for suspected or accused persons who are vulnerable
	The measure will aim to ensure that special attention is shown in criminal procedures throughout the EU to suspected or accused persons who are vulnerable, such as children and vulnerable adults (initiative 45). This will form Measure E of the Criminal Procedural Rights Roadmap. It is expected that this proposal will be published in November 2013.
	Initiative regarding legal aid in criminal proceedings
	This will be the fourth step on the Criminal Procedural Rights Roadmap. The Roadmap tasked the Commission with bringing forward a measure on access to a lawyer and legal aid at the same time. The Commission has de-coupled the two, publishing the proposed Directive on access to a lawyer in June 2011, with the measure on legal aid expected sometime in 2013.
	Department for Transport dossier
	Proposal for a Directive on the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the commercial road transport field
	This measure is expected to establish common minimal rules with regard to the definition of offences and sanctions, including criminal offences, in the field of commercial road transport. Such a harmonisation aims to reduce distortions of competition and the unequal treatments when committing infringements. Formal proposals are currently expected in the autumn of 2013 as part of an Internal Road Market Package.
	Measures may be added to or removed from this list depending on the level of Parliamentary interest that is generated by the published proposal. The list is provisional depending on the Commission’s timetable which may change. It is also not always possible to predict, ahead of analysis of the final proposal, whether the opt-in will apply. Parliament will be kept informed of any changes, which will be discussed with the House of Commons European Scrutiny Committee and the House of Lords European Union Committee.
	The content of this statement primarily relates to arrangements for debates in the House of Commons. It is anticipated that the House of Lords will continue to call debates under existing procedures.

Gas: Security of Supply Policy

Baroness Verma: My right honourable friend the Secretary Of State For Energy And Climate Change (Edward Davey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Gas will continue to be a crucial part of our energy mix to the 2030s and beyond. It is therefore essential that we have secure supplies at competitive prices. GB has a well-functioning gas market with high levels of liquidity, and comparatively low wholesale gas prices. Previous independent assessments1 show that we enjoy high levels of gas supply security provided by a diverse range of supply sources, including our own production, pipeline imports from Norway and the EU, imports from global markets via LNG and storage. These sources have provided reliable gas supply over recent challenging winters, including our highest ever daily gas demand in January 2010 and the protracted cold spell earlier this year.
	At the same time, new challenges are emerging, including our increased dependence on gas imports, and greater demand volatility. We therefore already have a range of measures in hand to promote our gas security. We also asked Ofgem to report to us on the outlook for gas security of supply and whether there is a case for further interventions in the gas market. Ofgem’s report, published last November, confirmed the resilience of our gas market. Since then, my Department has been working to assess whether the potential benefits of a further intervention in terms of more secure supply and effects on gas prices might outweigh the associated costs and risks.
	We have analysed three interventions in the gas market to establish whether they might improve our gas security cost-effectively. Our analysis shows that, although such interventions could enhance our gas security, under most scenarios they would not do so cost-effectively. If considering only the direct benefits in terms of avoided costs of disruption against the cost of building the storage, the costs outweigh the benefits in all cases. In addition, all options risk unintended consequences through distorting a well-functioning GB gas market or crowding out investment in alternative gas supply sources. These effects could undermine any additional security of supply intervention might bring. Therefore, we see no clear case for a further intervention in the gas market.
	Given the importance of gas we will instead press ahead with a range of interventions already in hand to improve our gas security of supply. These include;
	Ofgem’s proposals to sharpen incentives on gas suppliers to secure their supply via changes to emergency cash-out processes, and review of the efficiency of our gas interconnectors with Europe, Our work within the EU to ensure adoption and implementation of a variety of measures to enhance gas security through a well-functioning, integrated and transparent European gas market, Changes to the electricity market which should provide a further incentive for power-generators to safeguard their fuel supplies,Our work to maximise the economic production of our domestic gas resources including from the North Sea and unconventional sources such as coal-bed methane and shale.
	We expect these measures will further improve the supply security of GB’s well-functioning gas market. Further details of our analysis and a copy of the cost- benefit analysis can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gas-security-policy-assessment
	1 “GB Gas Security and Options for Improvement: A report to the Department for Energy and Climate Change”, Poyry, March 2010, “Gas Security of Supply Report: Ofgem report to Government”, Ofgem, November 2012

Immigration Rules: Changes

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My honourable friend the Minister of State for Immigration (Mark Harper) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement
	My right honourable Friend the Home Secretary is today laying before the House a Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules as set out below.
	I will expand the process of genuineness assessments and interviews to Tier 1 (General), Tier 2 (Minister of Religion), and Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) applications for entry and leave to remain, and to Tier 4 Students applying for further leave to remain. I will also be replicating for Tier 4 in-country extensions the existing power to refuse applications where the applicant cannot speak English. We will add Barbados to the list of countries whose nationals benefit from different documentary requirements and are exempt from the genuineness test when applying for a Tier 4 visa.
	I am making several small changes to economic routes to make them more attractive and more flexible for businesses. These changes include new provision in Tier 1 for artists of exceptional promise, removing the English language requirement for intra-company transferees, making it easier for graduate entrepreneurs to switch into Tier 2, and waiving share ownership restrictions for senior staff earning £152,100 or more.
	I will also be introducing flexibility for tourists and business visitors to undertake some study where it is incidental to the main purpose of their visit, as well as
	increasing the permissible activities a business visitor can undertake in the UK. I am retaining the student visitor route for those whose purpose in coming here is for short term study. The prospective student route is being removed because it is little used and anomalous.
	I am adding Hong-Kong to the list of participating countries and territories on the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme, further strengthening business, trade and cultural ties between us.
	I am introducing rules to give effect to the Secretary of State for Defence’s Statement to this House of 4 June 2013, which provides for some locally engaged staff, who have been or will be made redundant as a result of our drawdown, to relocate to the UK in recognition of the unique contribution they have provided to the UK’s efforts in Afghanistan. The new rules allow eligible applicants, their spouse/partner and their minor dependent children to be granted a period of 5 years’ leave to enter if their character and conduct is satisfactory.
	In line with the Statement of Intent “Knowledge of language and life in the UK for settlement and naturalisation” published on 8 April, I am also making changes to the way in which applicants for indefinite leave to remain are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the English language and of life in the UK, together with necessary consequential amendments. These changes will come into effect on 28 October.
	I am making changes to slow the path to settlement for refugees, and those granted humanitarian protection, who have committed crimes. Applications for settlement from refugees will be refused for 15 years from the date of their sentence if they have been sentenced to over 12 months’ imprisonment; for 7 years if they have been sentenced to up to 12 months’ imprisonment; and for 2 years if they have been given a non-custodial sentence. Discretion to delay the route to settlement will apply in the case of repeat offenders.
	I am creating new temporary Immigration Rules to facilitate the entry and stay of certain Commonwealth Games participants and personnel during the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
	I am making minor changes and clarifications to the Immigration Rules, including those relating to family life.
	I am making minor changes to repeal measures that are no longer required.
	I am making a minor change to the curtailment rules. This change adds a power to curtail leave where a migrant’s offending is persistent or causes serious harm. The change supports the Home Office in its work to take tough action against those who commit offences whilst here.
	I am making changes to the rules for dependants in the Points Based System and other work routes, following the High Court judgment in R (on the application of Zhang) v Secretary of State for the Home Department. The changes will allow dependants to apply from within the UK, providing they are not here illegally, as visitors, or on temporary admission or temporary release. They will still need to satisfy all other existing requirements.
	I am making changes to the visit visa requirement for Kuwaiti nationals holding diplomatic and special passports issued by Kuwait. When travelling to the UK for the purpose of an official or general visit, they will no longer have to obtain a visit visa to travel to the UK.

Judicial Review

Lord McNally: My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement
	I will today lay and publish the paper “Judicial Review: further proposals for reform” (Cm 8703) which seeks views on potential areas for the reform of judicial review and related issues, including legal aid.
	Reforming judicial review is an important part of the Government’s programme to tackle public burdens, promote growth and stimulate economic recovery. I am clear that judicial review is, and will remain, an important means to hold government to account where it is acting unlawfully, but I remain concerned that too often it is being used either as a campaign tool or to delay or frustrate decisions that have been properly made. I am also concerned that legal aid resources should be targeted at those judicial review cases where they are needed most if the legal aid system is to command public confidence and credibility.
	A number of reforms have already been made to the procedural aspects of judicial review, including removing the right to an oral renewal in a case certified by the judge as ‘totally without merit’ and aligning the time limits for bringing a planning or procurement judicial review with the relevant statutory challenges. A new fee will soon be introduced for an oral renewal. Whilst these reforms are a worthwhile first step, it is right that we test the potential for further substantive reform.
	To that end, the paper makes proposals in a number of areas: the courts’ approach to cases which rely on minor procedural defects; rebalancing financial incentives; speeding up appeals to the Supreme Court in a small number of nationally significant cases, which would extend beyond judicial review; and planning challenges. I also think it makes sense to explore the potential for reforming the test as to who can bring a judicial review, as well as whether there are mechanisms other than judicial review for resolving disputes related to the public sector equality duty, following a recommendation by the Public Sector Equalities Steering Group.
	Having listened to concerns raised in the Transforming Legal Aid consultation, which closed in June, this package also includes a proposal in relation to the payment of legal aid providers in judicial review cases. In addition to our original proposal that providers would only be guaranteed payment for their work on a judicial review where permission is granted by the Court, this consultation proposes that the Legal Aid Agency will have a discretion to pay providers in
	certain genuinely meritorious cases where the provider has been unable to secure a costs order or costs agreement as part of a settlement.
	The proposals I am publishing today are intended to deliver a much needed rebalancing of judicial review so that it operates in a more proportionate manner without undermining how government is held to account, allowing scarce taxpayer-funded resources to be focused where they should be. The consultation will close on 1 November, and all responses will be considered carefully before I respond.

Legal Aid: Transforming Legal Aid

Lord McNally: My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today publishing the Government response to the consultation paper Transforming Legal Aid: Delivering a More Credible and Efficient System, published on 9 April this year as well as further consultation on some revised proposals. Copies of Transforming Legal Aid: Next Steps will be placed in the Library and will be available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.

National Employer Advisory Board: New Board Members

Lord Astor of Hever: My honourable friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mr Mark Francois) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Following an open competition, I am pleased to advise the House of the appointment of three new members to the National Employer Advisory Board (NEAB).
	They are:
	Mr Alun Griffiths
	Mr Kevin Goodman
	Mr Paul Noon
	They join the other eleven members of the Board, which is chaired by Mr Richard Boggis-Rolfe, and which continues to provide informed independent strategic advice to Ministers, the Chiefs of Staff and the Reserves Community about how the Ministry of Defence can most effectively gain and maintain the support of and for employers of Reservists for Britain’s Reserve Forces. I take this opportunity to thank NEAB for its work which is greatly valued by the Ministry of Defence.

Planning System: Improvements

Baroness Hanham: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local (Nick Boles) made the following Written Ministerial Statement on 3 September 2013.
	The Coalition Government has taken a series of steps to ensure a streamlined, easy-to-use planning system. A number of Statutory Instruments to make planning practice swifter and simpler are being laid this week.
	Faster planning appeals to support sustainable economic growth
	Following the consultation last year on proposals to make the planning appeals process faster and more transparent, reforms are being introduced from 1 October 2013 under Statutory Instruments laid today that mean that appeal decisions can be taken sooner, while ensuring the process remains fair.
	Where appeals are allowed, development will be able to commence sooner, bringing forward much-needed jobs and growth. Communities will be able to see an appellant’s whole case when making their own representations, as this will now be submitted up-front when they make their appeal, giving greater transparency.
	A new Commercial Appeals Service, closely modelled on the successful Householder Appeals Service, will introduce an expedited procedure for some minor commercial appeals such as those relating to advertisement consent or shop fronts, allowing decisions to be made in only eight weeks.
	Guidelines on acquiring land
	Revised guidance on the compulsory acquisition of land or rights over land for nationally significant infrastructure projects will help applicants understand the powers in the Planning Act 2008 and how they can be used to best effect. It will also help ensure that the process of dealing with such orders is as fair, straightforward and accurate for all parties as possible. I am arranging for a copy of the guidance to be placed in the Library of the House.
	A better process for consents in conservation areas
	New secondary legislation will complete the removal of the requirement for obtaining Conservation Area Consent when demolishing unlisted buildings in conservation areas, and from 1 October 2013 make these proposals subject to planning permission instead. It will remain necessary to obtain the permission of the local planning authority for such demolition, but the changes will reduce complexity in the system, by removing a separate consent regime. The level of protection of unlisted buildings in conservation areas will remain unchanged.
	Britain is building
	This Government has introduced a wide ranging package of measures to support stalled development. This includes making £570 million available through the Get Britain Building fund to unlock new homes on small sites that have planning permission, and a
	£474 million fund for investment in the local infrastructure necessary to support housing and commercial development. Our investments to date are helping to bring forward new homes, boosting the construction industry and stimulating economic growth. Through the Growth and Infrastructure Act, we have enabled developers to request reconsideration of the affordable housing component of any section 106 agreement, to ensure development is not being made unviable by unrealistic requirements. We have also taken steps to boost the housing market by improving access to mortgage finance through initiatives such as the Funding for Lending and Help to Buy schemes.
	In October 2012, a temporary measure introduced by the previous Government that enables applicants to seek more time to implement a planning permission was extended by 12 months. To encourage developments to start on site promptly once planning permission is granted, this temporary measure will not be extended further. This will complement the £1 billion Government is investing to get stalled sites moving again and help to reduce the 60,500 sites that are currently on hold.
	Better performance for the planning process
	The Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 allows applications for major development to be made directly to the Secretary of State, in those few cases where a local planning authority is designated as under-performing. The Statutory Instruments being laid this week explain the procedures that need to be followed, including the local hearing that will ensure communities have an effective say on any applications made in their area. The Government expects to make the first designations by the end of October, and applications can be made to the Secretary of State from that time.
	Amendments to the fees regulations will also help to improve performance by requiring a refund of the planning application fee if a planning application has not been decided within 26 weeks, in line with the Government’s ‘Planning Guarantee’.

Prison Capacity

Lord McNally: My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The House is aware of my plans to modernise the prison estate so that we always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts but at much lower cost and in the right places to deliver our ambitions for reducing our stubbornly high reoffending rates.
	We are doing this through a significant programme of replacing accommodation which is old, inefficient or has limited long-term strategic value and by reshaping the rest of the prison estate so that we are able to release offenders closer to home which we know improves their resettlement and prevents reoffending.
	I am able to update the House today on the progress made and next steps in this programme.
	In January I set out my ambition to build a new prison and as part of the Spending Review in June secured a £250 million investment for it to be built in North Wales. I can today announce that, following the assessment of several site options and subject to local planning approval, the new prison will be built on the former Firestone site in Wrexham.
	Work will begin on-site next summer with the prison fully operational by late 2017. The new prison will provide up to 1,000 much-needed jobs, great opportunities for local businesses and millions of pounds worth of construction opportunities. It also provides North Wales with its first ever prison, offering an opportunity for offenders from the region to be closer to their homes.
	I can also announce that I have tasked my officials to come up with plans that would see the existing Feltham Young Offenders site replaced with a large new adult prison and a new, youth facility on adjoining sites in West London.
	In 2012-13 we were able to remove 2,800 old and uneconomic places which has significantly reduced the running costs of our prisons. I announced in January that we will open up an additional 1,260 places in four new houseblocks. The first one at HMP The Mount is on track to accept prisoners in September 2014. In addition we will open 180 new places at Rochester and Bure this year.
	We are now in a position to close a further 1,400 uneconomic places which will save around £30 million per annum. This means the closure of the following prisons by the end of the financial year:
	MP BlundestonHMP DorchesterHMP NorthallertonHMP/YOI Reading
	In addition, we will convert HMP Verne to an immigration removal centre, providing around 600 additional places to hold immigration detainees awaiting removal from the country. Existing staff will continue to run the site but the change means that the Home Office will meet the costs of its operation.
	These changes form part of our overall plans that will reduce prison costs by over £500 million within this Spending Review period.
	In addition we will begin discussions with the Duchy of Cornwall about the future of HMP Dartmoor. This lease has a long notice period so nothing will happen immediately but the age and limitations of a prison built in 1809 mean that it cannot have a long term future as part of a modern prison estate. It therefore makes sense to discuss with the Duchy future options for the site.
	It is right that we continue to meet the needs of the prison population. That is why during this year, I commissioned a review on how we best meet the needs of women and conducted a public consultation on proposals to transform youth custody. I anticipate being able to announce the outcome of both in October.
	I can however announce two changes as a result of those reviews which form part of our overall prison estate strategy: HMP Downview will stop holding
	women prisoners and instead will hold adult male prisoners; and HMYOI Warren Hill will stop holding young offenders and will also change to hold adult male prisoners. Both changes will take place by the end of the financial year.

Private Security Industry: Home Office Consultation

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Security (James Brokenshire) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today publishing a summary of responses to the Home Office consultation on the Government’s preferred option for reforming how the private security industry is regulated—a transition to a business regulation regime.
	The current arrangements for the regulation of the private security industry in the United Kingdom are set out in the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Responsibility for delivering regulation lies with the Security Industry Authority (SIA), a non-departmental public body accountable to the Home Secretary. Following the Public Bodies Review in 2010, the Government concluded that the SIA’s functions should be reformed. The consultation provided a detailed proposal for a new regulatory regime for the private security industry.
	Overall, there was strong support for the Government’s proposed reforms and the majority of respondents supported the introduction of business regulation, together with a new individual licensing process, as soon as possible.
	The key reform outlined in the Home Office consultation was that a new regulatory regime would be introduced which will require businesses providing security industry services to be approved by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). In order to be approved, companies would be required to ensure that they meet certain minimum standards appropriate to the industry. In return, businesses will be given greater responsibility for checking their employees’ suitability for working in the industry.
	A copy of the consultation response will be placed in the House Library and will also be available on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-future-regulatory-regime-for-the-private-security-industry

Scotland Analysis

Lord Deighton: My right honourable friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Government has published the fifth paper in the Scotland analysis programme. This series of publications is designed to inform the debate on Scotland’s future within the United Kingdom ahead of next year’s referendum.
	“Scotland analysis: Macroeconomic and fiscal performance” looks at Scotland's economic performance and finds that, as part of the UK, Scotland is outperforming most other parts of the country and its performance is comparable to many other independent European countries as a result of the benefits of deep economic integration with the rest of the UK.
	These benefits include free access to the larger UK market, a common regulatory framework, integrated supply chains and a highly flexible labour market. As a result, Scottish companies trade more goods and services with the rest of the UK than with the rest of the world, exporting £36 billion of goods and services to the rest of the UK. Flexible labour movement between Scotland and the rest of the UK allows businesses to recruit the best people from across the whole UK, and the benefits of being part of the UK have made Scotland an attractive destination for foreign investment.
	The paper finds that the absence of a border is key for economic integration. Even where free trade agreements exist and physical borders are weak, neighbouring countries with similar economies are affected by the presence of a border. The analysis finds, for example, that that trade between the US and Canada is thought to be 44 per cent lower than it could be as a result of the border between them. Canadian provinces trade around 20 times more with one another than with US states of a similar size and proximity, despite a free trade agreement between Canada and the US. Labour migration between Scotland and the rest of the UK is also estimated to be as much as 75 per cent higher within an integrated UK, allowing the sharing of skills and knowledge.
	The UK’s diverse economy protects Scotland from economic shocks and the volatility of oil prices. An integrated UK and a broader and more diverse tax base helps to maintain the stability of public spending in Scotland and smooth the impact of volatile sources of revenue, such as North Sea oil and gas.
	The paper shows that, since 1999, Scotland’s onshore economy has generated 8.3 per cent of the UK’s tax receipts, while at the same time Scotland has received an average of 9.4 per cent of UK public spending. Relative to the UK generating and spending £100, this means that Scotland’s onshore economy has generated £98 for the UK Exchequer, while receiving £112 of public spending.
	Integration is at the heart of the UK’s current economic and fiscal union. Independence would fundamentally transform and fragment this relationship, ending the pooling of resources and risk-sharing between Scotland and the rest of the UK, and erecting a border where one does not currently exist. Research in the paper concludes that remaining part of the borderless United Kingdom could boost real incomes in Scotland by as much as 4 per cent after 30 years, equivalent to £5 billion in 2012 prices or £2,000 per household, compared to the outlook if Scotland were to become independent.
	Future papers from the Scotland analysis programme will be published over the course of 2013 and 2014 to ensure that people in Scotland have access to the facts and information ahead of the referendum.

Transfer of Undertakings Regulations: Government Response to Consultation

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My honourable friend the Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs (Jo Swinson) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Earlier this year I published a consultation seeking views on how we should reform the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE regulations). This consultation was part of the Government’s Parliament–long Employment Law Review. The review is reforming employment laws so that they support the flexibility and effectiveness of our labour market; and ensuring that our employment laws firmly establish fairness for workers and employers.
	The TUPE regulations protect employee rights when the business or undertaking for which they work transfers to a new employer. Our consultation presented a number of proposals to improve the regulations by removing unnecessary “gold plating” and bureaucracy whilst retaining important protections to ensure that transfers continue to be fair for employees.
	I have published the Government’s response to the consultation today. In our response we outline a package of reforms that remove unfair legal risks that businesses currently face, give businesses more legal certainty in what they can do and reduce the bureaucracy of a transfer.
	Our intention is that regulations will be laid before Parliament in December 2013.
	The amendments will include changing the wording of the provisions in TUPE in respect of restricting changes to contracts and protection against dismissal so that they more closely reflect the wording of the Acquired Rights Directive and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
	We will allow terms derived from collective agreements to be renegotiated 1 year after a transfer provided that overall the change is no less favourable to the employee.
	We will also amend the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 so that, in certain circumstances, consultation which begins prior to a transfer can count for the purposes of complying with the collective redundancy rules. Many businesses already engage in such consultation but businesses that do so run the risk of a legal challenge that it may not count—our amendment seeks to provide certainty to employers on this point.
	In addition we will also allow small firms, in some situations, to inform and consult employees about transfers directly. We will improve the guidance on a range of issues.
	In light of the responses received during the consultation, the Government has decided to retain the transfer test for service provision changes. We have also decided to retain the requirements on employee liability information that must be given to the new employer, as business generally finds these provisions helpful. We have, however, decided to extend the usual
	deadline for providing this information from 14 to 28 days before the transfer takes place. We believe that by providing information about transferring employees earlier in the TUPE process, new employers can better prepare for their new staff.
	A copy of the response document and impact assessment has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Violence Against Women

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement
	Tackling domestic violence and abuse is one of my key priorities. I am determined to see continued reductions in domestic violence and abuse and the Government’s updated Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Action Plan sets out our approach for achieving that.
	The police play a key role in responding to, and protecting, victims of domestic violence and abuse. It is therefore essential that the police response is effective and has the confidence of victims.
	I have written to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary to ask that he conducts a thematic review of the police response to domestic violence and abuse across England and Wales.
	I have asked that the review focuses on:
	the effectiveness of the police approach to domestic violence and abuse, focusing on the outcomes for victims; whether risks to victims of domestic violence and abuse are adequately managed; identifying lessons learnt from how the police approach domestic violence and abuse; making any necessary recommendations in relation to these findings when considered alongside current practice.
	I have asked that the inspection is completed and that the findings in respect of the above are published no later than April 2014.
	A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Alcohol: Licensing

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Crime Prevention (Jeremy Browne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	A consultation on enabling targeted, local alternatives to personal licences to sell alcohol has been launched today.
	The system of personal licences is intended to ensure that alcohol is sold responsibly. At present, all alcohol sales must be authorised by a personal licence holder. Personal licence holders must have completed training on the risks alcohol can present if handled irresponsibly. They must also notify licensing authorities if they commit any offence which suggests they may be unsuitable as a manager at licensed premises.
	Extensive discussions with partners in the police, local government and the licensed trade during the recent Alcohol Strategy consultation suggested that this system may not always be the most targeted and proportionate way to ensure alcohol is sold responsibly. For example, all premises—from the riskiest to the quietest—must comply with the system regardless of whether it is locally appropriate or not. As a result, the consultation published today proposes enabling targeted, local alternatives to personal licences through locally applied conditions to premises licences. We have estimated that this proposal could save businesses, including small and medium enterprises, some £10 million a year if taken forward, while keeping a focus on measures to tackle crime and disorder at licensed premises.
	This consultation is an opportunity for licensing authorities, the licensed trade, police officers and the general public to share their views on this proposal. In particular, the Government is seeking views on whether it would cut costs for businesses and maintain appropriate safeguards against crime and disorder at licensed premises.
	A copy of this consultation will be placed in the House Library and it will also available on the Home Office website.

Armed Forces: Unsolicited Mail

Lord Astor of Hever: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Armed Forces (Mr Andrew Robathan) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I wish to inform the House about the annual campaign to discourage unsolicited mail that the Ministry of Defence will be running in the lead up to Christmas (which is 103 days from 13 September 2013).
	This Government is dedicated to the care and welfare of the men and women of our Armed Forces, particularly those deployed on operations, which is reflected in the comprehensive Deployed Welfare Package. A key part of that package is ensuring the timely delivery of free personal mail from family and friends. In the past the general public has shown their support by sending unsolicited goodwill parcels. This has resulted in huge volumes of mail, which have overwhelmed the system and have prevented mail from families from getting through. British Forces Post Office (BFPO) estimates that, in the eight-week period between mid-October and mid-December, the volume of mail in the logistic system increases by 65%. The amount of unsolicited mail entering the BFPO system can impact on personal
	mail, causing severe delays, and can increase pressure on essential in-theatre resources.
	It is for these reasons that the MOD will be repeating its campaign to discourage unsolicited mail. Its success in recent years has reduced the volume of unsolicited mail significantly. Key to the success of this campaign is encouraging the British public to show their support, in other ways, through one of the recognised MOD Service charities. Service personnel on operations over Christmas will receive a seasonal gift box from the charity, uk4u Thanks!. This charity works closely with the MOD, using free space in the existing supply chain to deliver the boxes well before Christmas, without impacting on the normal mail system.
	I recognise that it might seem counter-intuitive to ask the British public not to send parcels to troops at Christmas, but to avoid the impact of unsolicited mail and to help prioritise mail to service personnel from their families I ask for your full support in directing the public towards MOD recognised charities.

Capital for Enterprise Ltd

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My Rt. Hon Friend the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise (Michael Fallon) has made the following statement.
	Mark Prisk (then Minister of State for Business and Enterprise) presented a Ministerial Written Statement to the House on 17 July 2012 which announced the Triennial review of Capital for Enterprise.
	Since then the Secretary of State has announced the creation of a business bank which will bring together, review and rationalise existing government schemes aimed at supporting access to finance for businesses under a single organisation, in order to increase access to and awareness of these interventions. The review was therefore put on hold until it was clear how CfEL would fit with the business bank.
	The Strategy Update “Building the Business Bank” which the Secretary of State published on the 21 March confirmed that the business bank organisation will bring together Capital for Enterprise Ltd, key policy teams in BIS and new expertise from the private sector.
	Given that CfEL will not continue in its current form, I have decided not to complete the Triennial Review of Capital for Enterprise Limited.

Consultation: Costs Protection

Lord McNally: My hon Friend the Minister for Victims and the Courts (Mrs Helen Grant) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today announcing the publication of “Costs Protection in defamation and privacy claims: the Government's proposals”.
	Following the publication of Lord Justice Leveson’s Report in November 2012, the Government accepted his recommendation—endorsing that of Lord Justice Jackson—that costs protection should be extended to defamation and privacy claims. Costs protection protects parties from the costs that they might have to pay to the other side in civil litigation. Costs protection was introduced in April 2013 for personal injury cases when the Government reformed the way in which no win no fee agreements operate. Those reforms, contained in Part 2 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012, were delayed for defamation and privacy cases as a result of Lord Justice Leveson’s recommendation until a costs protection regime has been introduced.
	The proposals in the consultation are designed to help people and organisations of modest means to be able to bring and defend defamation and privacy claims without the fear of having to pay unaffordable legal costs to the other side if they lose. The consultation also proposes that those of substantial means (whether individuals or organisations, such as national newspapers) would be excluded from the costs protection regime, while those of less modest means might have to pay something towards the legal costs of the other side if they lose.
	The consultation runs until 8 November. The Government hopes to introduce the new costs protection regime in April 2014, at the same time as implementing the relevant provisions in Part 2 of LASPO Act for defamation and privacy cases. Taken together, these changes will result in access to justice at more proportionate cost: meritorious claims will be able to proceed, while those without merit will be deterred.
	Copies of this Government Consultation have been placed in the Vote Office, the Printed Paper Office and the Libraries of both Houses. The document is also available online at http://www.justice.gov.uk.

Contract Liabilities

Baroness Hanham: My hon Friend the Minister for Housing (Mark Prisk) made the following Written Ministerial Statement on 13 September.
	I wish to inform the House of spending that the Government have been forced to undertake as a result of poor decisions made by the last Administration.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has two service concession contracts with Landmark Information Group for the operation of the Domestic and Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Registers. These commenced in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The contracts, signed under the last Administration, were let on the basis that the revenue from the fees paid whenever an Energy Performance Certificate or related document is entered onto the Registers would cover the full cost of operating the Registers.
	As a result of low transaction volumes, due to the economic downturn under the last Administration following the financial turmoil in 2008 and 2009, and a number of enhancements to Register services, the
	revenue from fees for entering documents onto the Registers has not been sufficient to meet the full cost of operating the Registers.
	This has left the current Government with a contractual obligation to meet the cost of services that had been delivered through the Register contracts but which had not been covered by revenue from fees for entering documents onto the Registers. As a result, the Department has reluctantly agreed to make a payment of £5.7 million to cover these costs to April 2013. It is the view of Ministers that it is clearly unacceptable that contracts were drawn up and operated which outsourced a service to the private sector, but left taxpayers with unreasonable commercial risks.
	Ministers in this Government have acted decisively to address this situation and safeguard the future operation of the Registers for the benefit of consumers and industry. Fees were revised in April 2013 to cover the full cost of operating the Energy Performance Certificate Registers and will be reviewed annually to ensure that remains the case. The recent payment has ensured that these fees were not higher for property owners, and that current service users are not paying for services delivered in the past.
	The contracts have now been extensively reviewed in order to deliver improved value for money. This has included a reduced margin for the contractor and enhanced scrutiny of any future proposals for changes to Energy Performance Certificate Register services to minimise future liabilities for the taxpayer.
	This is not the first botched contract that the Coalition Government has been forced to fix. As Ministers indicated in the answer of 19 July 2011, Official Report, Column 829W, the last Administration's poor drafting of the Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme contract similarly resulted in a £13 million liability for taxpayers, again as a result of commercial risk from an outsourced service being left with taxpayers.
	Hon. Members and the broader public will rightly wish to scrutinise the poor decisions of the last Administration. I will arrange for redacted copies of the old and the revised contracts to be placed in the Library of the House in due course.

Daniel Morgan

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Further to my Statement of 10 May 2013 announcing the creation of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, I can today announce that the Chair, Sir Stanley Burnton, will be joined on the panel by the following Panel members:
	Silvia Casale—Criminologist and independent expert for the Council of Europe.Michael Kellett—former Police Officer (Lancashire Constabulary).Graham Smith—Academic and Senior Researcher at the University of Manchester.
	The work of the Independent Panel is set out in the full terms of reference which were placed in the Library of the House in May 2013. These provide that the Panel will seek to complete its work within 12 months of the documentation being made available.

Education: National Curriculum

Lord Nash: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for Education (Rt Hon Michael Gove MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	On 8 July 2013, I launched a statutory one-month consultation seeking representations on the draft legislative Order—the Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study) (England) Order 2013—required to bring the new national curriculum into effect from September 2014.
	The consultation was accompanied by the publication of final proposals for the new national curriculum for all subjects and key stages (except for key stage 4 English, mathematics and science). A further consultation on the programmes of study for key stage 4 English, mathematics and science will follow, in line with the timetable for the reform of GCSE qualifications.
	Officials in the Department for Education have received 750 responses to the consultation which have been carefully analysed. Yesterday we published a summary of the responses received.
	The new national curriculum that we published yesterday has been developed with due regard to the views of subject experts and teachers and to the findings of international best practice comparisons. In response to representations made during the recent consultation period, changes have been made to improve clarity, precision and consistency of the content.
	The new national curriculum will provide a rigorous basis for teaching, a benchmark for all schools to improve their performance, and will give children and parents a better guarantee that every student will acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in the modern world. It has been significantly slimmed down and will free up teachers to use their professional judgement to design curricula that meet the needs of their pupils.
	This new national curriculum represents a clear step forward for schools, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to acquire a core of essential knowledge in key subjects. It embodies rigour, high standards and will create coherence in what is taught in schools. It sets out expectations for children that match the curricula used in the world’s most successful school systems.
	The majority of the new national curriculum will come into force from September 2014, so schools will now have a year to prepare to teach it. From September 2015, the new national curriculum for English, mathematics and science will come into force for years 2 and 6; English, mathematics and science for key stage 4 will be phased in from September 2015.
	Copies of the new national curriculum have been placed in the Library of the House.

Hague Convention: Austria and Malta

Lord McNally: My hon Friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Chris Grayling) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Government has decided to opt in to the proposed Council Decision authorising Austria and Malta to accede to the 1965 Hague Convention on the service abroad of judicial and extra-judicial documents in civil or commercial matters.
	The Convention is designed to provide a simple, speedy and cost-effective process for the transmission of legal documents between the courts and individuals of contracting Member States to the Convention. It brings greater legal certainty, and improves protection for the interests of defendants involved in international civil or commercial litigation. While the accession of Austria and Malta will have no direct effect on the United Kingdom as service of documents within the EU is governed by an EU Regulation, the Government welcomes the accession of Austria and Malta to the Convention and notes the benefits this will bring to the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories who are also parties to this Convention.
	Although not anticipated in the proposal, the Government believes that the UK opt in under the Protocol to Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union applies and it has therefore asserted its right to choose whether to opt in; it has decided it is in the UK's best interests to do so. The Government has taken this decision notwithstanding the fact that it disputes the Commission’s claim to “exclusive” competence.
	The Government believes that the wider significance of these proposals for external competence mean that it is in the UK’s interests to participate fully in future negotiations on this Proposal, including having the ability to vote.

Health: Information Sharing

Earl Howe: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Today I am publishing the Government's response to Dame Fiona Caldicott's Review of information sharing. This review was recommended by the Future Forum on Information which reported in January 2012.
	I am grateful Dame Fiona and her panel and to the many people who provided valuable input into her review. Building on the wealth of experience, viewpoints and insights gained through the review and the preceding NHS Future Forum’s work, this document sets out the overall ambition and actions to transform how our health and our care services use and share information to the benefit of patients and service users.
	For citizens, patients and users of care services, this response sets out how a new approach to information sharing across health and care can support more joined
	up, safer, better care for us. Dame Fiona’s Review and our response look at actions for clinicians and other care professionals, managers, commissioners, councillors, researchers, and many others.
	There are four key themes in the response:
	- patient and citizen rights—they should have confidence in how their information is handled through knowing how it is used and shared and how to object and through having access to their electronic care records;- improving sharing for direct care—appropriate and legal data sharing to drive integrated, joined-up, person-centred and safer care for people (where information governance rules have, in the past, been seen as a barrier);- improving sharing for other purposes—the importance of information for research, commissioning and public health and improving practice in this area, recognising this can only be done effectively if people are given a say in how information about them is used; and- better protection for information—boards and other leadership groups will take responsibility for good information practices in their organisations, professionals will be consistent in the rules they apply and front-line staff will have improved training and education on information sharing and confidential information.
	In summary, this response sets out the overall ambition and the early actions that will enable better information sharing to support our health and our care services to meet our needs and expectations, for now and the future.
	Information: To share or not to share? The Information Governance Review and Information: To Share or not to share, Government Response to the Caldicott Review have been placed in the Library. Copies are available to hon Members from the Vote Office and to noble Lords from the Printed Paper Office.

Historic Royal Palaces

Baroness Northover: My hon Friend the Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries (Ed Vaizey) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Departmental minute laid today is in respect of an extension to the period whereby Government act as guarantor on behalf of Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) for a borrowing facility of up to £4m to meet short-term cash flow requirements.
	The renewed guarantee will be available until 30 September 2016 and HRP will only enter into borrowing facilities at such times and within such monetary limits as the Department shall agree.
	The guarantee provides a safeguard protecting HRP’s business from a sudden and serious decline in economic conditions affecting HRP’s admissions income until the savings from their planned rationalisation measures could come through, and would only be used in extreme circumstances. The guarantee has been in place since 2002 and it has never yet been called upon.
	Historic Royal Palaces is a charity established by Royal Charter. By virtue of a contract entered into on
	1 April 1998, it carries out the functions of the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under Section 21 of the Crown Lands Act 1851 of managing the unoccupied Royal Palaces.
	I am arranging for the document to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Industrial Strategy Conference

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills (Dr Vince Cable) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	In September last year, I set out the Government’s new industrial strategy for the UK. Our industrial strategy is a long-term, whole of Government approach with partnership with industry at its heart. The publication of the last of our eleven sector strategies in August represents an important milestone in our work. These strategies set out a vision shared by business and Government for these sectors, building on existing strengths and give businesses the confidence they need to invest and grow.
	On September 11, the Government and the Confederation of British Industry will be jointly hosting an Industrial Strategy conference at Warwick University to set out the next steps industrial strategy over the next year and beyond. At the conference, we will also be announcing the following:
	• Round 2 of the Employer Ownership Pilot—Government wants to give employers more direct control of how public funding for vocational skills is spent and are testing this through the Employer Ownership Pilot. Round 1 of the programme is funding 36 projects with £102m of Government funding matched by £108m of private investment. Under Round 2 of the project, 39 bids have progressed to the next phase and we will be announcing the first wave of these bids.• Round 3 of the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative—the initiative was first established in December 2011 to help existing UK supply chains grow and achieve world class standards, while encouraging major new suppliers to come and manufacture here in Britain. The Autumn Statement 2012 provided an additional £120 million for two additional funding rounds of AMSCI—Rounds 3 and 4—taking the total government contribution to this scheme to up to £245 million. Subject to due diligence five supply chain projects from the aerospace, chemicals, electronics and life sciences sectors will be receiving over £115 million of joint public and private sector investment and we expect their projects to create and safeguard over 1,500 jobs.• £150 million investment in Green Construction projects—£60 million is being invested through the Technology Strategy Board to support the UK construction industry in designing and developing more energy efficient buildings. Government expects the projects to attract an additional £60 million of industry investment and £30 million extra funding
	from across Government. The construction industry contributes almost £90 billion to the UK economy and supports around 3 million jobs.• The See Inside Manufacturing programme will be expanded from three to ten sectors, with seven new industries joining automotive, aerospace, and food & drink. The seven new sectors include construction, offshore wind and the life sciences. See Inside Manufacturing enables young people and teachers to get behind the scenes of the manufacturing industry and see first hand the opportunities available.
	We are also publishing an economic analysis of key themes cutting across our sector strategies. This new paper, published to coincide with the Conference, brings together insights from the analysis underpinning the sector strategies using the four themes of the conference—Exports, Innovation, Skills and Supply Chains. This paper will be placed in the House Library.

Judicial Diversity Taskforce: Report

Lord McNally: My hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mrs Helen Grant) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Judicial Diversity Taskforce has today published its third annual progress report, which details the progress the Taskforce has made in addressing the 53 recommendations of the Advisory Panel on Judicial Diversity. The Advisory Panel had a vision that our judiciary would be more diverse by 2020 and I am confident that the work of the Taskforce will go some way to achieving this vision.
	Significant progress has been made by members of the Taskforce over this past year. The Crime and Courts Act 2013 introduced changes to the selection panels for senior appointments to ensure that they are more diverse, introduced an equal merit provision into the appointments process and allowed part-time working in the senior courts, including the UK Supreme Court.
	This progress is certainly encouraging; however, we do still have a number of important recommendations to implement before we start to see any significant changes in diversity. It is very important that the outstanding recommendations are completed swiftly so we don't lose the momentum we have built, and that we carry out robust evaluation of our actions to make sure the steps we are taking are the right ones; steps that will deliver tangible benefits and meaningful change in the diversity of our judiciary.
	Only with renewed energy and commitment from all will we see real, visible change in the diversity of our judiciary in the future.
	Copies of the Taskforce's progress report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
	The report is also available online at: https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/improving-judicial-diversity-judicial-diversity-taskforce-annual-report-2013

Less-Lethal Weapons: Review

Lord Astor of Hever: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans (Mr Mark Francois) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today announcing the start of the Triennial Review of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons (SACMILL). Triennial reviews are part of the Government's commitment to ensuring that Non-Departmental Public Bodies continue to have regular independent challenge.
	Less-lethal weapons are those whose design and intention is to control and then neutralise a threat without substantial risk of serious or permanent injury or death. Such devices include baton rounds and the Taser. The Review will examine whether there is a continuing need for SACMILL's function and its form and whether it should continue to exist at arm’s length from Government. Should the review conclude there is a continuing need for the body, it will go on to examine whether the body's control and governance arrangements continue to meet the recognised principles of good corporate governance. I will inform the House of the outcome of the review when it is completed.

Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: Consultation

Baroness Verma: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Edward Davey MP) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today launching a public consultation on the site selection aspects of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) programme. The consultation follows a call for evidence earlier in the year.
	As I confirmed in my statement in January this year, the Government remains wholly committed to geological disposal as the right policy for the long-term, safe and secure management of higher-activity radioactive waste, and continues to favour a site selection process based on working in partnership with interested local communities. This approach is consistent with similar geological disposal programmes that are ongoing in other countries.
	The construction of a geological disposal facility is a multi-billion pound infrastructure initiative, which will directly create hundreds of jobs for many decades, with even more during peak construction periods. This would have a transformative effect on the economy of the area selected for the site, stimulating local businesses, supply chains, and providing skilled jobs and training opportunities.
	Since the decisions of the local authorities in Cumbria in January, which brought the existing MRWS site selection process in west Cumbria to an end, my Department has been reviewing the site selection aspects
	of the MRWS programme in order to identify any areas where improvements could possibly be made. Our public call for evidence closed in June, and the evidence obtained from this, as well as information gathered from the direct engagement with stakeholders and international bodies, has informed the proposals in the consultation document that I am publishing today.
	The consultation will run for three months, and will include a series of deliberative events nationally with members of the public and interested parties. My officials are of course happy to discuss any aspects of the wider MRWS programme, and how the current consultation proposals would sit within the wider policy framework, with interested parties.
	Following our analysis of the responses to the consultation, we intend to re-launch the MRWS site selection process in 2014.
	The consultation covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland (and is being issued jointly with the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive) but not Scotland, which has a different policy for the long-term management of higher activity radioactive waste.

NHS: Winter Planning

Earl Howe: My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Jeremy Hunt) has made the following statement.
	Today the Government can announce its plans for winter and the allocation of £250 million funding to NHS England. This money will be distributed by NHS England to the areas that need it most in 2013-14, working with Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority. This follows the Prime Minister’s announcement in August that A&E departments will benefit from an additional £500 million over the next two years to address seasonal pressures.
	It is important to provide the NHS with greater support during the winter period, particularly at a time when the scale of the challenge facing the NHS and wider health and care system is becoming increasingly clear. It is essential that even when demand is at its highest, patients get the excellent support they need and rightly expect. Emergency admissions have risen by 32% over the last decade and our main priority is to make sure the NHS can cope with this increasing pressure, not only this winter but also for the future.
	As in previous years, a robust monitoring process will be in place from the beginning of November until the end of February and data will be available online to local organisations to support their management and coordination.
	NHS England, Monitor and the NHS Trust Development Authority have been working jointly to determine where this funding will make the greatest impact and make a demonstrable difference to patients. The funding will be targeted in the following way:
	£15m towards securing a reliable NHS 111 service throughout the winter period;
	subject to completion of current scrutiny of plans, a total provisional amount of £221m for the 53 high risk systems; anda small contingency of £14m for use for final settlements for trusts to use in the winter
	Indicative amounts have been allocated, subject to change, to the following trusts outlined as follows:
	
		
			 REGION SYSTEM AS IDENTIFIED BY NHS TRUST/NHS FOUNDATION TRUST PROVISIONAL AMOUNTS (£000S) 
			 London Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust £7,000 
			 London Barnet & Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust £5,120 
			 London Barts Health NHS Trust £12,800 
			 London Croydon Health Services NHS Trust £4,500 
			 London Ealing Hospital NHS Trust £2,900 
			 London North Middlesex University Hospital Trust £3,800 
			 London North West London Hospitals NHS Trust £6,400 
			 London South London Healthcare NHS Trust £7,700 
			 London Whittington Health NHS Trust £2,960 
			 London West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust £2,300 
			 Midlands and East Basildon and Thurrock NHS FT £2,490 
			 Midlands and East Bedford Hospital NHS Trust £3,734 
			 Midlands and East Derby Hospitals NHS FT £4,487 
			 Midlands and East Heart Of England NHS FT £9,289 
			 Midlands and East Kettering General Hospital NHS FT £3,919 
			 Midlands and East Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust £2,869 
			 Midlands and East Mid Staffordshire NHS FT £3,747 
			 Midlands and East Milton Keynes Hospital NHS FT £2,763 
			 Midlands and East Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust £4,000 
			 Midlands and East Peterborough and Stamford NHS FT £5,050 
			 Midlands and East Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust £4,218 
			 Midlands and East Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust £4,000 
			 Midlands and East The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn. NHS FT £3,990 
			 Midlands and East ' The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust £5,700 
			 Midlands and East United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust £8,000 
			 Midlands and East University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust £4,000 
		
	
	
		
			 Midlands and East University Hospital Of North Staffordshire NHS Trust £3,460 
			 Midlands and East University Hospitals Of Leicester NHS Trust £10,000 
			 Midlands and East Worcester Acute Hospitals Trust £1,000 
			 North Aintree University Hospital NHS FT £1,520 
			 North Airdale NHS FT £1,450 
			 North East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust £1,403 
			 North Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS FT £914 
			 North Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust £1,890 
			 North Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS FT £1,044 
			 North North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust £2,292 
			 North Southport & Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust £4,042 
			 North Stockport NHS FT £1,530 
			 North Tameside Hospital NHS FT £2,475 
			 North University Hospitals Of Morecambe Bay NI-IS FT £1,257 
			 North York Teaching Hospital NHS FT £2,061 
			 South Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust £2,326 
			 South Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust £4,080 
			 South East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust £2,300 
			 South Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT £3,302 
			 South Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS FT £6,644 
			 South Medway NHS FT £6,120 
			 South North Bristol NHS Trust £5,900 
			 South Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust £10,207 
			 South Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust £5,500 
			 South Portsmouth Hospitals NHS. Trust £1,427 
			 South Royal United Bath Hospitals NHS Trust £4,426 
			 South Weston Area Health Trust £4,800 
		
	
	The additional allocation will require an increase to the revenue budget for NHS England for 2013/14, as specified in the Mandate. This revision to the Mandate will be laid before Parliament in due course.i
	One of the avoidable pressures on the NHS is flu. On average around 750,000 patients see their GP with flu symptoms and nearly 5,000 people die each year. Flu levels have been relatively low over the past two years but this does not mean they won’t go up this year. And if cases of flu do increase, the pressure on A&Es will also increase. The best way for people at
	risk from flu to protect themselves, their families and—in the case of NHS staff—their patient is to get the flu vaccine.
	For the first time, young children aged two and three will be offered the innovative nasal spray vaccine to protect them against flu. Young children’s close contact with each other means they are likely to transmit the virus to other more vulnerable groups—including infants and the elderly.
	Frontline healthcare workers, by the very nature of their jobs, deal with people who are unwell every day and on average, around 27,000 people spend time in hospital with flu every year. NHS staff can play an important role in not picking up the flu virus and passing it on to other patients who are often people who are already poorly and vulnerable to infection by simply having the flu vaccine. Less than half of frontline NHS staff get vaccinated against flu and in some hospitals, this figure drops to fewer than 1 in 5. This is why we want to significantly boost the number of healthcare workers getting the flu vaccine to 75 per cent. Trusts will not be eligible to receive a portion of the money in future years if they do not vaccinate 75% of their staff this year, except in exceptional circumstances where they can prove to the TDA, Monitor and NHS England that they have robust plans in place to ensure they meet this ambitious target the following year.
	i The Mandate is the document published annually by the Secretary of State under section 13A of the National Health Service Act 2006, specifying for NHS England its objectives and revenue and capital budgets.

Parish Council Payments

Baroness Hanham: My hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Brandon Lewis) made the following Written Ministerial Statement on 10 September.
	I am pleased to announce that the Government intends to reform the burdensome rule requiring all parish council cheques and other orders for the payment of money to be signed by two councillors. We consulted on this reform last year and received over 500 replies. Of these 78 per cent were in favour of the reform, including the key national accountancy and audit organisations concerned.
	We propose to implement the reform by a legislative reform order under the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Act 2006. The order will apply to parish councils and charter trustees in England and community councils in Wales. The order will be laid in draft, accompanied by an explanatory document, as required by the 2006 Act.
	The Government places great importance on maintaining a strong system of financial control for parish councils to safeguard the public money they are responsible for against fraud and other losses. We intend the outcome of this reform to be not only the freeing of the councils to use modern methods of payment more efficiently, but also a more effective control framework than the two signature rule on its own provides.
	We have worked closely with representatives of the sector and their auditors to ensure such a framework is in place before the two signature rule has been removed. We will be doing further work with them in the coming weeks to finalise the arrangements. I will then lay the draft order and the explanatory document at the earliest opportunity, when both Houses are sitting. The explanatory document will summarise the responses to the consultation and set out the agreed control framework.

Parliamentary Written Answer: Correction

Lord McNally: My hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jeremy Wright) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I regret to inform the House, because of an administrative error within my Department, the written answer given to the hon. member for Brighton Pavilion on 10 September 2013, Official Report, column 690W, was incorrect. The correct answer is below:
	Jeremy Wright: The Government has carefully considered the responses to the consultation “Transforming Legal Aid: Delivering a more credible and efficient system” and has published the response “Transforming Legal Aid: Next Steps” available at:
	https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-legal-aid-next-steps
	We remain of the view that taxpayers should not be expected to pay the legal bills for a significant number of weak judicial review cases which are not permitted by the court to proceed at the permission stage. This doesn't just cost the legal aid fund, it also means more costs for the courts in considering applications and for public authorities in defending proceedings.
	However, the Government has listened to concerns raised by a number of respondents who argued that the original proposal not only targets weak judicial review cases but would also unfairly affect meritorious cases where permission is not granted simply because the case concludes prior to consideration by the court. The revised proposal seeks to address this concern.
	We are therefore consulting on a further proposal in which providers would not be paid unless granted permission, subject to discretionary payment in certain cases which conclude prior to a permission decision without a costs order or agreement.
	The further proposal is set out in a separate consultation paper on Judicial review and is accompanied by an impact assessment available at https://consult.justice. gov.uk/digital-communications/judicial-review.

Police: Taser Statistics

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice (Damian Green) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	I am today publishing the statistics on police use of Taser in England and Wales for the period 1 January 2010-31 December 2011. These show that:
	Total police use of Taser has increased year on year from 2009 to 2011.The proportion of Taser where the “highest use” is “fired” remained constant through 2010 and 2011 at about a fifth, after declining from 2009.The most common “highest use” of a Taser was “red dot” in each of the last two years.
	Full details will be made placed in the House Library.

Royal Mail

Viscount Younger of Leckie: My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills (Vince Cable) has made the following statement:
	On 10 July, I laid a Report in Parliament and made a statement setting out the Government’s plans to float Royal Mail shares on the London Stock Exchange via an Initial Public Offering (IPO) during this financial year.
	Today, the Government has made a formal intention to float announcement for listing Royal Mail on the premium segment of the official list and the main market of the London Stock Exchange.
	Shares will be made available to institutions, members of the public—through intermediaries or direct application to Government—and 10% of the shares will be allocated to eligible employees free of charge through an employee share scheme. Government is delivering on the commitment to employees that Parliament made two years ago, and this will be the largest employee share scheme of any major privatisation for almost thirty years.
	Our announcement provides additional detail about the retail offer and the employee priority offer further to my July Report. It also highlights Royal Mail's performance, strengths and strategies.
	The sale will be the final stage of the Government’s reforms of the postal sector which are designed to ensure the maintenance of the universal postal service—the six day a week, one price goes anywhere service that we have enshrined in legislation. Changes to the universal service's minimum requirements, which include free services for the blind and services to urban and rural areas alike, can only be changed by affirmative resolutions in both Houses of Parliament. Moreover, any changes to the uniform nature of the service would require new primary legislation.
	We have already relieved Royal Mail of its historic pension deficit and put in place a new regulatory regime with greater protections for the universal postal service.
	A sale will give Royal Mail real commercial freedom and enable it future access to private sector capital so that it can invest in the business, innovate and act quickly to take advantage of new opportunities such as those that exist in the e-fulfilment market.
	The Post Office is separate from Royal Mail plc and is not for sale. This Government is committed to the
	Post Offices' sustainable future and we have committed to no programme of Post Office closures. Government is providing funding of £1.34 billion over four years to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches and ensure that 90% of the population live within one mile of a Post Office outlet. This is the largest investment in the Post Office’s history and will also enable the modernisation of up to 6,000 branches.
	I have placed a copy of the Intention to Float announcement in the libraries of both Houses.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Immigration (Mark Harper) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS) allows fruit and vegetable growers to employ migrant workers from Bulgaria and Romania as seasonal workers for up to six months at a time. It will close, as planned, at the end of 2013. The Government does not intend to open any new SAWS for workers from outside the EEA as our view is that, at a time of unemployment in the UK and the European Union there should be sufficient workers from within those labour markets to meet the needs of the horticultural industry. The Agricultural Technologies Strategy will support innovation by agricultural businesses, which will also help to offset future impacts.
	Currently, there is an annual quota of 21,250 SAWS participants. From 1 January 2014, when the transitional labour market controls on Bulgarian and Romanian (EU2) nationals are lifted, growers will have unrestricted access to EU2 workers. Since the controls on the EU8 (the Member States that acceded to the European Union in 2004) workers were lifted, those workers have continued to form the core of the seasonal agricultural workforce. At present, UK growers recruit about one third of their seasonal workers from the EU2, and about one half from the EU8. Seasonal agricultural work can pay good wages and the sector should be able to attract and retain UK and EEA workers.
	Our migration policy is to allow only highly skilled workers from outside the EEA, with an annual limit of 20,700 workers. Unskilled and low skilled labour needs should be satisfied from within the expanded EEA labour market. The SAWS was previously open to non-EEA nationals but was restricted in 2007 to EU2 nationals, consistent with an intention to phase it out as the EEA labour market expanded. That remains the Government’s position. We do not think that the characteristics of the horticultural sector, such as its seasonality and dependence on readily available workers to be deployed at short notice, are so different from those in other employment sectors as to merit special treatment from a migration policy perspective.
	The independent Migration Advisory Committee reviewed the impact of the closure of the SAWS on the horticulture sector earlier this year. They concluded that there was unlikely to be an impact on labour supply in the short term, although this might change in the longer term. They noted, however, that there is a wide range of uncertainty around the effects on migration
	flows to the UK of ending restrictions on labour market access for EU2 nationals. The MAC was also clear that a replacement SAWS would amount to preferential treatment for horticulture.
	The Government recognises that the SAWS has for many years provided an efficient supply of labour for the horticultural sector. The Department for Work and Pensions has been working with JobCentre Plus, LANTRA (the sector skills council), the National Farmers’ Union and others, including growers and horticultural recruitment firms, to help unemployed UK residents into horticultural work through training and guaranteed interviews. A pilot scheme to encourage unemployed UK residents to apply for, train and secure jobs on arable farms has shown encouraging results with a high proportion of participants going on to secure employment in the sector. We want to build on this and other innovative approaches. The Government, including the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities and Local Government, looks forward to working with the sector to monitor and address the issues, and will keep the situation under review.
	The Government has also decided it will not replace the Sector Based Scheme which operates in the food processing sector when this closes at the end of the year. The scheme is not heavily used and the Migration Advisory Committee concluded closure was unlikely to have any negative effects on the sector’s ability to meet its labour needs.

Spectrum Release

Lord Astor of Hever: My hon Friend the Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology (Mr Philip Dunne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Following my statement of 17 December 2012 I can confirm to the House that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is preparing to release radio spectrum to the communications regulator, Ofcom, who will then conduct the process.
	The MOD believes that this option provides the best route to release much needed spectrum to the commercial market. The spectrum will be able to provide additional capacity for fourth-generation mobile networks, help expand wireless access to broadband services and aid future innovations in mobile technology, all of which will make significant contributions to UK economic growth.
	As previous stated the MOD’s plans are part of a Government commitment that at least 500 MHz of public spectrum will be released by 2020 for new mobile commercial uses.

Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Theresa May) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	Section 19(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 (the Act) requires the Secretary of State to report to Parliament as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of every relevant three-month period on the exercise of her TPIM powers under the Act during that period.
	The level of information provided will always be subject to slight variations based on operational advice.
	
		
			 TPIM notices in force (as of 31 August 2013) 9 
			 TPIM notices in respect of British citizens (as of 31 August 2013) 8 
			 TPIM notices extended (during the reporting period) 0 
			 TPIM notices revoked (during the reporting period) 0 
			 TPIM notices revived (during the reporting period) 1 
			 Variations made to measures specified in TPIM notices (during the reporting period) 6 
			 Applications to vary measures specified in TPIM notices refused (during the reporting period) 1 
		
	
	During the reporting period one TPIM notice that had been revoked in a previous quarter was revived upon the subject's release from prison.
	Two individuals were charged in relation to an offence under section 23 of the Act (contravening a measure specified in a TPIM notice without reasonable excuse) during the period.
	Section 16 of the Act provides rights of appeal in relation to decisions taken by the Secretary of State under the Act. No appeals were lodged under section 16 during the reporting period. One judgment was handed down by the High Court in relation to an appeal under section 16 of the Act, lodged in a previous quarter. In Secretary of State for the Home Department v BF [2013] EWHC 843 (Admin), handed down on 30 July 2013, the High Court upheld the Secretary of State's decision to extend BF's TPIM notice and all the measures. This judgment is available at http://www.bailii.org/
	The TPIM Review Group (TRG) keeps every TPIM notice under regular and formal review. The TRG has met twice during this reporting period.

Town and Parish Councils

Baroness Hanham: My Rt. hon Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary
	of State for Communities and Local Government (Don Foster) made the following Written Ministerial Statement on 9 September.
	I have today published the summary of consultation responses and next steps on making it easier to set up new town and parish councils.
	Although there are almost 10,000 parish councils in England, only a handful are to be found in urban areas. So, while around 90 per cent of the country is covered by parishes geographically, only around a third of the population is represented by one.
	Parish councils are a fundamental part of our local democracy. Town and parish councils can run local facilities such as leisure centres and theatres, manage parks, establish bylaws, run job clubs, and fund community groups. They can also use the community rights established under the Localism Act 2011, for example to help stop the clock on the sale of important local assets such as pubs and green space. We will also shortly be extending the power to use the Sustainable Communities Act to town and parish councils. Many of our bustling towns and cities would benefit from the neighbourliness and local insight of the parish perspective.
	Consultation, which concluded earlier in the year, set out options to make it easier for people, wherever they live, to close up the democratic gap in their own community by creating their own parish council if they don't have one. The document published today explains that we will:
	• cut by a quarter the number of petition signatures needed to start the new parish creation process—from 10% of the local population to 7.5%• reduce the time local authorities can take to decide on parish council applications to a maximum of a year• make it easier for community groups that have created a “neighbourhood plan” to kick-start the process—removing the need for them to produce a petition.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government will also be supporting the National Association of Local Councils and County Associations of Local Councils to help campaigns for new town and parish councils and provide them with resources.
	The process for creating parishes will continue to be robust, with the local authority retaining the power to decide whether a new parish should be set up. But campaigners and local councils will benefit from a far easier and quicker process.
	I am arranging for the document to be placed in the Library of the House.

Troubled Families Programme

Baroness Hanham: My Rt. hon Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Eric Pickles) made the following Written Ministerial Statement on 10 September.
	I am pleased to update hon. Members on the progress of the Troubled Families Programme. The latest
	information shows that this groundbreaking programme has successfully turned around the lives of nearly 14,000 of England’s toughest families in just 15 months.
	This Government has set out an ambitious goal of turning around the lives of 120,000 troubled families in England by the end of this Parliament: getting children back into school; cutting youth crime and anti-social behaviour across the whole family; getting adults into work; and reducing the estimated £9 billion per year that these families cost the taxpayer. Full details of the Government’s payment by results framework for troubled families can be found on my Department's website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-troubled-families-programme-financial-framework
	Up to the end of July 2013, upper-tier local authorities have reported that they have turned around nearly 14,000 troubled families. The figure represents a seven-fold increase from January which means children are back in school for at least three terms where they were previously playing truant or excluded; high levels of youth crime and anti-social behaviour are down over at least 6 months; and adults are getting off benefits and into work for at least 3 months.
	The tough and sustained outcomes which this programme demands mean that it can take in excess of a year to achieve these results and claim success.
	Considering the often long-standing and deep-seated nature of these families’ problems and the inherent time lags in these results, the progress achieved in such a short space of time is a huge achievement and a testament to the hard work of colleagues in local government and the workers who directly helped the families.
	In June 2012, I announced that all 152 upper tier local authorities had signed up to deliver the Troubled Families Programme and, for most, this started with the substantial task of identifying the families most in need of intervention. As of the end of June 2013, they had identified over 80,000 troubled families who will be targeted for intervention by the programme. Of these families, nearly 50,000 families are already being worked with—up from 35,000 in March. This represents a significant increase in the pace and scale of work with troubled families across England.
	The figures from local authorities on progress within the first 15 months of the government’s Troubled Families Programme have been collated from the latest quarterly returns submitted to DCLG’s Troubled Families Team from all 152 upper tier local authorities in England. I am grateful to local authorities for providing us with these figures. Full details of these returns can be found on my Department’s website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-progress-information-at-30-june-2013-and-families-turned-around-at-29-july-2013
	I am arranging for copies of this information and the details of the payments by results framework to be placed in the Library of the House.

UN Firearms Protocol

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: My hon Friend the Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice (Damian Green) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	The UK has opted into the draft Council Decision to approve, on behalf of the EU, the UN Firearms Protocol against the illicit manufacturing of and trafficking in firearms, their parts and components and ammunition. The Protocol supplements the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime.
	The Protocol creates a legal regime for the transnational movement of firearms and contains practical measures designed to assist law enforcement by enhancing international cooperation and promoting greater transparency in the legal transfer of firearms. The Commission was mandated by the EU to negotiate six of the Articles in relation to: record keeping; marking of firearms; deactivation of firearms; general requirements for export, import and transit licensing or authorisation systems; effective security of imports and exports; and brokering activities.
	The Commission signed the Protocol on behalf of the Community in 2001 with the intention of concluding it once the Articles they negotiated had been enshrined in European law. This has been primarily achieved through amendments to the existing Weapons Directive 91/477 on the acquisition and possession of weapons and the adoption of Regulation 258/2012 to combat illicit arms trafficking through improved tracing and control of exports of civilian arms from the EU. These changes have already been transposed into UK legislation.
	The Government consider that it is in the UK’s interest to opt into the proposal to conclude the Protocol on behalf of the EU. The aims of the Protocol are broadly welcome and are consistent with current EU policies on measures to counter transnational crimes, to strengthen the fight against the illicit trafficking of firearms and to reduce the spread and proliferation of small arms around the world.

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust

Earl Howe: My hon Friend the Secretary of State for Health (Mr Jeremy Hunt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
	University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust (UHMBT) has been the subject of scrutiny for a number of years, following the high number of serious untoward incidents in its maternity and neonatal services. The families of those who were harmed or died under the care of the trust have persistently and courageously sought a full and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding these deaths. I am today announcing to the House the terms of reference for the independent investigation into the management,
	delivery and outcomes of care provided by the maternity and neonatal services of UHMBT from January 2004-June 2013, under the chairmanship of Dr Bill Kirkup CBE. Dr Kirkup is a former associate medical director at the Department of Health, and served on the Hillsborough Independent Panel.
	The investigation will primarily focus on the service provided by the trust, and the response of the trust to shortcomings previously identified. It will look at evidence relating to organisations external to the trust where this will help shed light on the tragic events that occurred, and assist in producing recommendations for preventing such incidences in the future. The principle concern of this investigation is getting the answers the families have requested. Answers are required about what went so desperately wrong with the care they received, and the steps the trust must take to ensure no other families suffer in the future.
	This is not an investigation into the regulatory and supervisory systems of the NHS, as these issues have
	only recently been examined by the second Mid-Staffordshire Inquiry, and the Department of Health will publish its full response in due course. Nor is it a Public Inquiry as the requirements for public evidence sessions are not considered suitable for the privacy and tact with which this investigation must be undertaken. To ensure that the investigation will meet the requirements of openness and transparency, all of its sessions will be open to family members.
	The investigation is expected to report to me by next summer and a copy of the full terms of reference has been placed in the Library. Copies are available to hon Members from the Vote Office and to noble Lords from the Printed Paper Office.
	Dr Kirkup plans to issue a method statement for the investigation in October 2013. I am grateful to him and the families for their significant contribution to the design of this investigation process. I sincerely hope that it will provide them with the answers that they seek.